speakout Intermediate UNIT 2

TALES2speakout Intermediate

UNIT 2

page 1© Pearson Education Limited 2011

OverviewWatch the video podcast. Which opinions do you most agree with?

1 Read and complete the text with the prepositions from the box. Then watch the video podcast from 0:11-0:29 and check your answers.

in (x2) about (x2) of (x2) for (x2) from

Hi, I’m Val and I work 1for the BBC here 2 London. I read a lot 3 news stories 4 my job and I get my news 5 lots 6 different sources. Today, I’m going to be asking people 7 the media and 8 truth. How do you find out what’s happening 9 the world?

Glossary: source = the place something comes from; the media = TV, radio and newspapers

2 How do you find out what’s happening in the world? Look at the people and the responses they give. Then watch the video podcast from 0:25-1:07 and match the responses to the speakers.

A B C D E F

TV the radio the newspapersTwitter other peoplethe internet news programmes

✓

3 Do you always believe what you see or read in the news? Look at the people and read the opinions below. Then watch the video podcast from 1:08-2:06 and match the opinions to the people. There is ONE extra answer that you do not need.

Who…1 …thinks it’s important to distinguish between fact and opinion?

2 …doesn’t always believe that news sources are being honest? A

3 …often finds that news headlines are quite misleading?

4 …doesn’t ever believe what she reads in the news?

5 … thinks health stories in the news are very honest?

6 …thinks it’s a risk to believe everything you see and hear on television?

Glossary: to distinguish = recognise or understand the difference; misleading = give incorrect information

Val

BAdrian

AMairi

JohnTamaraJoanneAdrianMairi

CJoanne

DDorra

EBinisa

FJohn

A B C D E


UNIT 2


4 When is it OK to tell a lie? Read the possible answers a and b for each person. Then watch the video podcast from 2:07-2:44 and tick (✓) which is true.

Glossary: a kid = a child (slang); to scare = to frighten; to destroy = damage something very badly; to harm = to damage or hurt somebody

4a In general, telling lies destroys relationships.4b In general, telling white lies destroys your relations.

5a He’s always honest about his wife’s new clothes.5b He’s not always honest about his wife’s new clothes.

6a It’s OK to tell lies when it doesn’t harm anyone.6b It’s not OK to tell lies even when it doesn’t harm anyone.

CJohn

DBinisa

1a It’s OK to lie sometimes to protect yourself.1b It’s OK to lie sometimes to protect another person’s feelings. ✓

2a You don’t want to tell the truth to a kid and scare them.2b You should tell lies to a kid to scare them.

3a There are some lies that are nasty.3b There are some lies that are necessary.

AJoanne

BDorra


UNIT 2


The way we speak5 Do you always believe what you see or read in the news? Read Tamara and John’s views below. Then watch the video podcast from 1:39-2:06 and complete what they say.

6 Tell me about a time you told a lie. Look at the people and read the two summaries of their responses A and B. Then watch the video podcast from 2:45-3:28 and decide which summary is correct for each person.

Glossary: make an effort = try very hard; detrimental = not good for you; delayed = late

I come from Africa so I 1don’t because depending 2 what the news is, sometimes it 3 be a little 4 biased, sometimes it can be tinged with self-interest. So no, I 5 . I don’t believe 6 I read.

I work as a doctor and I 7 that quite a lot of the health stories, which are very big in 8 media and often get headline-grabbing attention, turn out to be actually not. They’re often 9 misleading, so I 10 I’m a fairly critical consumer.

Tamara John

1a Tamara’s husband cooked a meal that she didn’t like but she told him she liked it because he’d made an effort to do it and she didn’t want to hurt his feelings.

1b Tamara’s husband cooked a salty meal for her one evening but she told him she liked it and she ate it all even though she had already eaten dinner at a restaurant.

2a When Joanne’s late for a class or a meeting at university, she usually tells her tutor that she should have left home earlier.

2b When Joanne’s late for a class or a meeting at university, she sometimes blames the transport.

3a When Adrian was in China, he said the food was delicious, but it was to his detriment because it made him feel unwell.

3b When Adrian was in China, he said the food was delicious even though it wasn't. He was sorry later because they gave him even more food.

Tamara

Joanne

Adrian

A

B

C


UNIT 2


Vocabulary7 Find the words in italics in Ex. 6 and match them to the definitions.1 show a small amount of tinged2 designed to attract your attention 3 a person who buys products and services and says what is bad or wrong about them 4 preferring one thing rather than another in an unfair way 5 happen in a certain way that you often don’t expect 6 wanting what is best for you, not for others Personalisation8 Write your answers to the questions.1 How do you find out what’s happening in the world?______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

2 Do you always believe what you see or read in the news? Why/Why not?______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

3 Do you agree with what the people in the podcasts say about telling lies?

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

4 Have you ever told a lie that you feel bad about?

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

A recent study shows that British men tell more lies than British women.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8689010.stm

BBC LINK

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speakout Intermediate UNIT 2